Nawashi
/ Kinbakushi

by Tatu May 2002 / Revised 2006
Read this article in Italian (translation by Laquartacorda)

The word
"nawashi" has come more into common usage in
the west since it was introduced to the our American scene.

In 2002 I inquired of a German
national who goes by the name of "Dr. D Vice" who has lived in Japan
for some 20 years making his living as a photographer and recently
began doing rope bondage himself about this word. He defined the
word nawashi simply as "rope artist or practitioner".8

The word is actually a
word made of two Japanese words, "nawa",
which means "rope" and "shi" which means "practitioner".
So it refers to someone who works with rope with some level
of competence. It is a word that is commonly understood among
the Japanese as a "professional maker of rope".

Around 2005 a similar word has appeared
in the west, "Kinbakushi", which more specifically speaks to the the
erotic bondage art practitioner.

Japanese is an honorific language.
In Martial arts the word -shi refers to a teacher or one who has
mastered himself

The use of "-shi" as a suffix would
imply a place of respect in the use of this word, yet respect is not
something the master or sensei demands or gives to self, that would be
regarded as inappropriate, indeed haughty. The student uses terms like
these when they feel the teacher or mentor has indeed taught them
something and indeed is deserving of such respect, not the other way
around. So a true rope master or sensei would not call himself a
kinbakushi, nawashi, or sensei, others would refer to him that way in
response to having learned from his ways.

So in it's basic
form, "nawashi" is simply an adjective to describe someone
who works with rope with competence, to the point of being
respected enough to teach others.. It is a beautiful word,
a simple word like many things we find in Japanese culture.
It gives some heart and soul to the western mind about the
artistic approach the Japanese have to life as a whole.

Although widely in use as a general
description for those who practice Japanese Rope, In recent years the
word "Nawashi" and "Kinbakushi" have been appropriated by those in the
"professional" kinbaku / shibari performance art and porn industry in
Japan.

nawashi -
nawa = rope 2 + -shi = teacher or master 2.
So one who works with rope with some level of competence, a rope
practitioner.

Japanese is an honorific
language... the use of "-shi" would imply a place of honor in the use
of this word, yet honor is not something the master or sensei demands
or gives to self, that would be regarded as arrogant. The student uses
terms like these when they feel the teacher or mentor has indeed taught
them something and indeed is deserving of such respect, not the other
way around. So a true rope master or sensei would not call himself a
kinbakushi, nawashi, or sensei, others would refer to him that way in
response to having learned from his ways.1

This is a modern term that
came into use in the mid to late 20th century.

According to Yukimura, the
best guess for the origin of "nawashi" is that Minomura Kou coined it
in Kitan Club in the 50's. 7

In more recent years the
term has evolved into being applied specifically to a Master of Shibari
who were trained in Japan and is practicing only by those in Japan.